Jan. 15, 2014

Gov. Chris Christie and his family appear in a TV spot for the state's 'Stronger than the Storm' campaign. / File photo

TRENTON — Chris Christie says he had no role in the planning of last year’s $25 million “Stronger Than the Storm” advertising campaign, but a bidder says staff officials made it clear the Republican governor should star in the TV commercials.

At oral presentations for bidders on March 15, state officials “inquired if we would be open to featuring the governor in the ads,’’ said Shannon Morris, president of Sigma Group of Oradell.

“They stated an interest. They asked us about using the governor,’’ Morris told the Asbury Park Press, adding that officials “didn’t ask us about anybody else as a subject.’’

MWW, the other candidate from two finalists, won the advertising contract with a pitch to state officials in a separate meeting that day to feature Christie, despite seeking $4.7 million in labor costs and markups, compared to the $2.5 million sought by runner-up Sigma.

Sigma made its proposal at 10 a.m. on March 15 and MWW presented its plan at noon. MWW received the highest marks from the six-member evaluation committee, including two perfect “10” scores.

The ads were funded by federal Sandy recovery money and ran during Christie’s reelection year.

When questioned about the campaign last summer, Christie said he had no input into the TV ad campaign.

“I certainly have no second thoughts about it,” Christie said in August. “I didn’t make the decision, but I certainly don’t second-guess the decision.”

Christie’s spokesman said that the probe is part of the normal review process for federal contracts.

The Christie administration has failed to provide any notes or records produced from the oral presentations, despite several public records requests from the Press.

The state evaluation committee that picked MWW was comprised of administration officials and led by longtime Christie aide Michele A. Brown, who is CEO of the state Economic Development Authority. She once received a $46,000 loan from Christie when she worked for him in the U.S. Attorney’s office. Christie later recommended to the EDA board that Brown become its CEO. Christie also has veto power over the EDA’s actions.

It is unknown how Brown voted on the committee. The state has refused to release the name of the evaluator on each bid score sheet.

MWW spokesman Bill Murray in a statement Monday that MWW’s proposal “included no mention or suggestion of using the governor in the paid advertising campaign.”

But Shannon Eis, the company’s senior vice president, said in a May interview with the Press that MWW executives pitched using the governor in a starring role when they met with state officials on March 15. Eis in that interview said the company made it clear that Christie would have a prominent role.

“From the creative side we had to decide who is the strongest voice communicating that we’re back from the storm, and the governor has been that voice. We put out this very huge concept that included having the governor’s office involved loud and clear,” Eis said.

Neither Murray nor the EDA responded to requests for comment Tuesday. EDA officials have not responded to prior Press inquiries.

Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said, “The selected bidder was simply the better company and won on the merits with a far more complete and ambitious plan. The Obama Administration issued a waiver to use a small amount of Sandy relief funding for a tourism campaign, which was by all accounts a success and helped salvage our summer nicely.’’

Morris said she and colleagues had not considered putting Christie in the ads prior to their meeting with the state’s bidding evaluation committee.

“Our response was very neutral. We indicated that if we discussed it as a team, we would try to determine if we could make that campaign work. But we had other ideas for how we wanted to approach the campaign. Having the governor in the ads was something never brought up on our end,’’ Morris said.

The government has not produced any records detailing if putting Christie in the ads was a determining factor in awarding the contract.